Four riders, 7 stages | Where the Irish can do damage at Tour de l'Avenir

Liam O’Brien and his compatriots were riding for Team Ireland at Tour de l’Avenir last year, but the switch to trade teams for the 2026 edition arguably makes the Irish even more dangerous. Liam O’Brien, Seth Dunwoody, Adam Rafferty, and David Gaffney will be racing for different teams: O’Brien with Lidl Trek Future Racing, Dunwoody with Bahrain Victorious Devo, and Rafferty with Hagens Berman Jayco. This setup means they will each have their own team support, potentially allowing their ambitions to clash. The opening stage features a small climb, which could suit Rafferty or Dunwoody. First-year U23 rider David Gaffney will support Rafferty but may also have his own chances. The race starts today, Thursday, with a 151.9km stage from Caen la Mer to Argentan, featuring three laps of a finishing circuit with a 1km climb averaging 7%. The next three stages are similar, with courses that favor sprint finishes or breakaways. Stage 5 is a mountain time trial up Col de la Pierre Carrée, a Cat 1 climb of 11.5km averaging 6.4%. Stages 6 and 7 will feature summit finishes on Col de l'Iseran and Lago Serrù, respectively. Rafferty’s past success in breakaways at Giro Next Gen suggests he could repeat this strategy. The final stage is a challenging climb to Lago Serrù. Liam O’Brien will focus on the mountain time trial, while Rafferty and Gaffney will test their abilities against the watch. The Irish riders have a strong chance of major success across all seven stages.